Valdese decides fate of public safety building project Monday

Valdese leaders will decide Monday whether to move forward with the proposed $10.83 million public safety facility or go back to the drawing board.

Five of nine new business items on Valdese’s Aug. 3 meeting agenda pertain to the proposed public safety facility, a project to build a combination police and fire station that has been in the works since 2018.

Monday brings a major turning point regardless of how the council votes: either the project keeps its momentum or comes to a screeching halt.

Here will be the order of events:

• D.R. Reynolds Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). Assistant Town Manager Bo Weichel will present the GMP and propose an amendment to the town’s contract with D. R. Reynolds establishing the $10.83 million GMP, $600,000 in contingency funds, and a
  • substantial completion date of July 29, 2028.
  • First Tryon Advisors financing recommendation. The town’s financial advisers will give a presentation on loan proposals received. The recommended lender is
    • Webster Bank with a 15-year proposal at a 4.27% interest rate, totaling $14,477,799.
    • Council approval of financing. Council members will vote whether to approve loan documents.
    • Capital project ordinance amendment. Council members will vote whether to approve an amendment
      • allocating $630,000 of reserves in the project fund to cover a
        • $600,000 contingency fund, and
          • the remaining $30,000 needed for the project following approval of a $10.8 million loan.
          • Approval of 215 Main St. E sale. Chris Pons has offered to purchase the town’s 215 Main St. property (worth $361,770, according to county documents) for $378,060. Pons has provided a 5% down payment.
            • Proceeds from the sale will go toward the public safety building project.

            To view related material before the meeting, go to townofvaldese.com and click menu. Under “government” and “town council,” click “Meetings & Agenda.” On the new webpage, click “August 3, 2026” under “2026 Meeting Schedules & Agendas.” This will open the full agenda packet. Page 459 is where information about the public safety building project begins.

            The public safety facility project has been in the works since 2018, when a structural engineer completed a study of the original building that housed the police and fire departments.

            By 2024, the building — at 121 Faet St. SW — had deteriorated badly enough that the police and fire departments were relocated.

            The police department now operates out of Town Hall. The fire department is split between a portion of the Faet Street building that is not condemned and a portable office trailer behind the building.

            A number of council members and town managers have come and gone since 2018, all grappling with a combination of indecisiveness and setbacks that have dragged the project out for eight years.

            The town council had several options before them last year to renovate existing buildings or construct a new one. D. R. Reynolds conducted a feasibility study and determined the only viable option was building a combination police and fire station on 200 Massel Ave. SW, next door to Town Hall.

            Valdese leaders announced at the town’s annual budget retreat on April 14 that building a new police/fire station could cost up to $10 million. A month later, that estimate jumped to between $10.8 and $11.2 million. Chief Financial Officer Bo Weichel said the sudden spike was due to rapidly rising fuel and material costs.

            E-BIKES, MINI BIKES, AND SCOOTERS

            Following a year of complaints, Police Chief Marc Sharpe will recommend amendments to the town’s Code of Ordinances to regulate the operation of E-bikes, scooters, and other recreational vehicles in public spaces.

            Several investigations showed that minors were operating E-bikes and caused accidents after violating traffic laws.

            Sharpe’s recommended changes include new definitions of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs); Class I, II, and III E-bikes; dirt bikes; self-balancing electric devices; go-karts; mini-bikes; mopeds; mobility aids such as wheelchairs; and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs).

            The ordinance will be adjusted to define and implement civil penalties for violating the law. When minors under 16 commit a violation, parents can be charged. Parental responsibilities regarding this topic will be outlined in the ordinance.